The Power of Characters pt.1: R.I.P Steve Rogers

So!  As you have probably figured out, I am a huge Captain America fan!  And, you may have also gathered from various set photos, raging fangirls (me), and internet articles, THE NEXT AVENGERS MOVIE IS COMING OUT!!!  Yes, Avengers Infinity War will be coming out in May of 2018!  I am very excited! .... except for one thing... In the comics, Steve Rogers DIES.  Yes, you heard me right, Captain America, the Star Spangled Man, the First Avenger, DIES.  This means that it is more than likely that Cap will die by the end of the new movie.  And, to be completely honest with you all, I'm not emotionally ready for that.

I've barely even been in the whole Marvel fandom for a year and I'm already being threatened with the death of one of my favorite characters!  But this over dramatic crisis got me thinking, 'why am I so riled up by the death of someone- who doesn't even exist?'.  I'm a writer (obviously) and I can understand someone being upset over the death or misfortune of a character they relate to, but an all-out existential crisis?  That seems a bit much.

Characters are created with the intention of getting the reader/ viewer to root for them, want them to win, and/ or be happy, and often times writers do this by making their characters relatable.  In order to do this, characters are given flaws.  Those flaws may be physical, mental, or a part of their personality.  For example, Steve Rogers.  He is a WWII veteran so he suffers depression, anxiety, and PTSD.  These are all mental flaws.  He also deals with vices such as pride and stubbornness.  Those are personality flaws.  And, pre-serum Steve was short and bony; physical flaws.  Now, even with all of these flaws millions of people still adore Captain America!  Why is that?  Because they can relate to him!  They might also like him because they feel they can relate to his situation; feeling out of place, battling with old vs. new morals, losing loved ones, etc.  So really, when we like a character, we like them because they are like us.

From this, we may conclude that our emotional disturbance when a character suffers is caused by our emotional relation to them.  Taking a much deeper and philosophical look into this, does this mean when we see something happen to a character we love, that we fear we will suffer the same fate?  What I'm trying to get at is that we might not be overreacting to the death or misfortune of a beloved character, we could just be subconsciously fearing for our own lives and futures.  Think about it, doesn't it make sense?  So, when I'm scared to say, 'R.I.P Steve Rogers', maybe, in deep down, I'm just scared to say, 'R.I.P  Ary'...

How to: become comfortable in your own skin

A thigh gap, nice butt, and six-pack abs, it's what the world wants.  But, what if you don't have these things?
We all know life is diverse; different heights, different ethnicities, and especially different body types.  But, apparently, the world thinks that these different body types are... bad.  Fat shaming, photoshopped models, the many, many jokes and insults we've all heard, all because we are a human and not a manufactured Barbie/ Ken doll.  All of this makes it pretty hard to be confident and happy when you're not a Victoria Secret or Calvin Klein model.  But, I say this needs to change, we all need to feel comfortable in our wonderful, diverse bodies and I'm going to help with that.

Before I begin, I just want to put out the disclaimer that I am not a doctor or a psychologist or anything like that, just a girl who's learning to love her body and wants to help others as well.  Also, I'm not condoning eating disorders or obesity.  If you have a problem with abusing food in any way you should seek help from a professional.  This is not a post about how to diagnose or evaluate yourself, just a post about gaining confidence.  Now that I've said that, on to the advice!

A lot of websites and articles will tell you to maybe try wearing lingerie everywhere or have more sex, but I'm not going to tell you that.  No, I'm going to tell you how to gain confidence in your awesome body modestly.  Here we go!

#1 FIND AN OUTFIT YOU FEEL YOU LOOK GOOD IN

 As a plus sized teen, I have learned how important this is.  I personally feel really good when I wear a mix a casual and nicer clothes.  I have this one blue sundress I wear with a red lumberjack flannel!  I feel awesome when I wear it!  Now, you may feel cool in nicer, preppy clothes or maybe punk rocker clothes, whatever you feel nice in (while still being modest).  And don't go over to your dresser and pull out a baggy sweatshirt and sweatpants so you can hide your body.  We are not hiding our bodies, we are complimenting them with our clothing.

#2 TAKE BABY STEPS IN TAKING RISKS

Wear tank tops, wear bolder colors, wear horizontal stripes, wear vertical stripes, wear shorts, anything to get you out of your comfort zone.  We all know that we aren't going to feel 100% confident in our bodies overnight, we won't go from 0 to 60 that quick.  Instead, we'll take little risks more often and feel more comfortable in those risks.  For example, I usually don't like wearing short sleeves, I hate showing off my arms.  But, that all changed when I went to homecoming with my friend last September.
I had to wear a nice dress, and I didn't have any suitable dresses then, so, I borrowed one.  Problem was, it was sleeveless!  So, to avoid showing my arms, I wore a black shawl over the dress.  But, the shawl made it really hard to dance without it getting in the way.  So I had to make a decision; fun, comfortable dancing, or, cover my 'undesirable' arms.  I chose the former.  And guess what?  I didn't care that my arms were showing!  I had a great time!  It was a baby step in becoming more confident.

#3 KNOW THAT YOUR WEIGHT ISN’T ALWAYS A SCALE ON HOW HEALTHY YOU ARE

There are plenty of heavier set people who are perfectly healthy, they are just heavier.  There are plenty of skinny people who are healthy, they are just thinner.  There are lots of people who uphold the cultural standard of beauty and are unhealthy, they just uphold society's standard of good looks.  Unless a doctor says you need to lose/ gain weight, you are probably fine.  But, if your legs can't hold your own body up or you look like a six-foot-tall lower case 'i', you might want to consider changing your eating habits to control your weight.  But, unless that's the case, you are fine until a doctor disagrees.

#4 BE YOUR OWN CHEERLEADER

Recognize what you do well instead of focusing on all of the negative.  You ate a salad instead of a burger today?  Good job!  You took the stairs instead of the elevator?  Awesome!  You beat your old time for running a mile?  Way to go!  Push yourself to do better (within reason, don't push yourself beyond the breaking point) and recognize your progress.  It's not prideful to know you did well at something.

#5 YOU ARE FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE

The literal God of the universe created you and your cool, unique body!  He gave you your thick thighs, He gave you your small frame, He gave you your cool double joins, He gave you your big feet, He made you with love and care and he is so proud of his special creation!

Again, guys, I am no professional and if you need help, seek it from someone who can really help you.  And I'm not saying that the abuse of food is good, that is very, very bad and should be addressed by a professional.  But, please be confident in and love yourself and the vessel you're occupying, because your body loves you.

Remember, I love you, GOD loves you, and you look awesome!

Over and out,

<3 Ary

Are you ready?

The ultimate sacrifice was paid by Jesus Christ on the cross.  He was beaten and insulted and killed for those who deserved such a horrible fate as that far more than Him.  "It is finished," were His final words.

For a few weeks now, I've been thinking about that and what it means to me.  What have we done to deserve this gift of freedom from death?  Nothing.  What did Jesus do to deserve the burden of all the world's sins?  Nothing.  What's really gotten me thinking, is that Jesus could come back any moment.  The skies could split open, the trumpets could sound, and Jesus could come riding down to earth on his white horse in five minutes for all we know!  Or, five years for all we know.  But the real question is: am I ready?  Am I ready for the literal God of the universe, creator of all things discovered and undiscovered, the King of kings that rules life as we know it while existing outside of time and space, to come down and ask, "Ary, do you love me?".  As a sixteen-year-old girl who has barely experienced life outside of her hometown, I would have to say... "Y'know Jesus, that's a great question,".

Do I love Him?  That's what Peter said and he betrayed Jesus three times!  And that was just in a short, documented time span!  Who knows how many other sins and transgressions he committed.  That makes me think, "have my sins and transgressions separated me from GOD?".  As a lowly, sinful human, I would say "yes".  But as GOD's saved daughter, GOD's special princess, I would say, "why would Father give me up?  He loves me thiiiisss much!".

We may abandon GOD and run with the world, but GOD never gives up on us, he always waits with his arms wide open, hoping that we will come home again.  We are the prodigal sons and daughters, we cannot be separated by sins we've committed.  If Jesus can save Peter, He can save me.  If Jesus can save Paul, the former murderer of Christians, he can save me.  If Jesus can save literal serial killers and love them unconditionally, he can save me.

"Yes, Father, I love you.  I am the prodigal daughter, I am the saved princess, I am the beloved child of GOD.  Yes, Father, I love you, for you loved me first,".